South Africa bans all scrap metal exports for two months

South Africa's government has launched an investigation into how the supply of scrap metal has been affected by the challenges related to the Covid-19 pandemic, and has banned scrap exports for a period of two months beginning July 3.

The country's minister at the department of trade, industry and competition (DTIC), Ebrahim Patel, has issued a trade policy directive to the International Trade Administration Commission (ITAC) of South Africa to look urgently into measures to help support the metals industry.
The sector is facing several severe challenges as a result of Covid-19, due to increased global demand for raw materials and a significant price increase for all main inputs into the sector.
The directive blames the downturn in global manufacturing due to the pandemic for the dramatic reductions in the amounts of scrap metal that are available locally and internationally and the consequent sharp increase in prices.

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